plain

1 of 5

adjective

ˈplān

Synonyms of plain next

: lacking ornament : undecorated

: free of extraneous matter : pure

: free of impediments to view : unobstructed

a(1)

: evident to the mind or senses : obvious

it's perfectly plain that they will resist

(2)

: clear

let me make my meaning plain

: marked by outspoken candor : free from duplicity or subtlety : blunt

plain talk

: belonging to the masses : common

: lacking special distinction or affectation : ordinary

: characterized by simplicity : not complicated

plain home-cooked meals

: lacking beauty or ugliness

archaic : even, level

plainly adverb

plainness

ˈplān-nəs

noun

plain

2 of 5

noun

: an extensive area of level or rolling treeless country

: a broad unbroken expanse

: something free from artifice, ornament, or extraneous matter

plain

3 of 5

adverb (1)

: in a plain manner : without obscurity or ambiguity

saw them clearly and told you plain—

Amer. Documentation

plain

4 of 5

adverb (2)

: absolutely sense 1a

plain wrong

plain

5 of 5

verb

plained; plaining; plains

intransitive verb

archaic

: complain

Choose the Right Synonym for plain

common, ordinary, plain, familiar, popular, vulgar mean generally met with and not in any way special, strange, or unusual.

common implies usual everyday quality or frequency of occurrence

a common error

lacked common honesty

and may additionally suggest inferiority or coarseness.

common manners

ordinary stresses conformance in quality or kind with the regular order of things.

an ordinary pleasant summer day

a very ordinary sort of man

plain is likely to suggest homely simplicity.

plain hard-working people

familiar stresses the fact of being generally known and easily recognized.

a familiar melody

popular applies to what is accepted by or prevalent among people in general sometimes in contrast to upper classes or special groups.

a writer of popular romances

vulgar, otherwise similar to popular, is likely to carry derogatory connotations (as of inferiority or coarseness).

souvenirs designed to appeal to the vulgar taste

evident, manifest, patent, distinct, obvious, apparent, plain, clear mean readily perceived or apprehended.

evident implies presence of visible signs that lead one to a definite conclusion.

an evident fondness for sweets

manifest implies an external display so evident that little or no inference is required.

manifest hostility

patent applies to a cause, effect, or significant feature that is clear and unmistakable once attention has been directed to it.

patent defects

distinct implies such sharpness of outline or definition that no unusual effort to see or hear or comprehend is required.

a distinct refusal

obvious implies such ease in discovering that it often suggests conspicuousness or little need for perspicacity in the observer.

the obvious solution

apparent is very close to evident except that it may imply more conscious exercise of inference.

for no apparent reason

plain suggests lack of intricacy, complexity, or elaboration.

her feelings about him are plain

clear implies an absence of anything that confuses the mind or obscures the pattern.

a clear explanation

frank, candid, open, plain mean showing willingness to tell what one feels or thinks.

frank stresses lack of shyness or secretiveness or of evasiveness from considerations of tact or expedience.

frank discussions

candid suggests expression marked by sincerity and honesty especially in offering unwelcome criticism or opinion.

a candid appraisal

open implies frankness but suggests more indiscretion than frank and less earnestness than candid.

open in saying what they think

plain suggests outspokenness and freedom from affectation or subtlety in expression.

plain talk

Examples of plain in a Sentence

Adjective It was a plain room with no curtains. She was wearing plain black shoes. He printed the picture on plain paper. a piece of plain chicken You don't have to call me Mr. Johnson—just plain Fred will be fine. What he said is a lie, plain and simple. Noun the Great Plains of the United States the first settlers in that area lived on the vast plains in lonely log cabins See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Alek Wek emerged first, wearing a plain Thom Browne suit and a head scarf. —

Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023 In terms of sugar, many recipes keep it simple with plain white sugar. —

Sam Burros, Peoplemag, 18 Sep. 2023 Another favorite look includes plain mechanic’s coveralls, easy to personalize with embroidery or patches from a favorite bygone team. —

Bob Sorokanich, Robb Report, 17 Sep. 2023 Considering that one cup of plain low-fat yogurt contains about 75 mcg, 3 ounces of fish sticks contain about 54 mcg, a cup of cooked pasta contains about 27 mcg, and a quarter teaspoon of iodized salt contains about 71 mcg, that's generally an easy amount for most people to consume. —

Mary Shomon, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2023 Scientists say their activities alter soil composition and increase erosion, which allows weeds to colonize and multiply, robbing low-lying pebble plain species of water and sunlight. —

Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023 Lee’s style is plain and matter-of-fact, and the film’s spare and often muted visual language (cinematography is by Pawel Edelman) matches that mood. —

Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023 Ingredients 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt 1 (8 oz.) pkg. —

Katie Jacobs, Southern Living, 10 Sep. 2023 As Brown surveyed the warehouse in Missouri, a crew steered forklifts and skid lifts among the stacks of plain wooden boxes. —

Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023

Noun

Drilling opponents on Wednesday urged Congress to repeal the leasing provision from the 2017 law and permanently make the coastal plain off limits to drilling. —

Bybecky Bohrer, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2023 The plain is marked by hills, rivers, and small lakes and tundra. —

Becky Bohrer and Matthew Daly, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Sep. 2023 The remaining leases held by the Alaska development authority covered about 365,000 acres in the coastal plain and were rescinded Wednesday. —

Lisa Friedman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2023 The coastal plain, which lies along the Beaufort Sea on Alaska's northeastern edge, is marked by hills, rivers and small lakes and tundra. —

Becky Bohrer, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023 The route out of the capital passed through the flat desert plain surrounding Qom. —

Azadeh Moaveni, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2023 Pakistan wants to use the additional money to expand its network of hospitals in rural areas, move residents out of flood plains and bolster its water supply. —

Annie Gowen, Niko Kommenda and Saiyna Bashir, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Sep. 2023 Camps are set on a muddy desert plain on September 2, 2023, after heavy rains turned the annual Burning Man festival site in Nevada's Black Rock desert into a mud pit. —

Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 4 Sep. 2023 The National Weather Service office in Raleigh earlier warned that isolated flash flooding was possible over the eastern Sandhills and the coastal plain, as well as gusty winds of 35-40 mph over the Sandhills this morning. —

NBC News, 31 Aug. 2023

Adverb

Reynolds looked cool in a dusty-green button-up layered over a plain white tee. —

Rosa Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 Sep. 2023 In the kitchen, as in life, so much is just about the plain old nuts and bolts. —

Yotam Ottolenghi, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2023 Read more: Best Sentimental Gifts A good couples gift can be just plain cute, like this smoothing mugs set. —

Jennifer Nied, Women's Health, 25 Aug. 2023 Two months ago, Jenner wore similar jeans and a plain white tee at…maybe this same house? —

Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2023 Tuck a plain white pocket square into the breast pocket for a monotone look. —

Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 19 Aug. 2023 As the impressionable Moon in your group sector goads reckless Uranus in your finance sector, you might be tempted to spend money that wasn't in the budget on something speculative or just plain fun. —

Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2023 Prep is as present on our campus as piercings and political tees, from that vintage COCKS hat to ironic sorority sweatshirts, to the plain old khakis and collar shirts that by now are just clothes. —

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, The New Republic, 14 Aug. 2023 Ditch the plain old peanut butter and jelly and go for a delicious veggie sandwich. —

Andrea Crowley, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Aug. 2023

Verb

While most places see snow at the onset, coastal areas likely mix with and changeover to plain rain overnight into Tuesday AM. —

Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2023 Flavored water generally refers to anything that adds flavoring to plain water, whether that be artificial syrups or powders, or something more natural, such as fruit. —

Julia Landwehr, Health, 17 Apr. 2023 But there aren’t enough wires stretching from the state’s windy eastern plains to the mesa-top community. —

WIRED, 27 Feb. 2023 Southern areas of the state will at least turn to a wintry mix if not over to plain rain. —

Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2023 Stick to plain greek yogurt, which contains less carbohydrates, and try adding a handful of berries or chia seeds and a splash of unsweetened almond milk for a better keto-friendly dessert. —

Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 1 Nov. 2022 Simply add the Montreal Steak Seasoning of your choice to plain asparagus or your go-to existing asparagus recipe. —

Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2021 Tampa Bay began as expansion team in 1998 and transformed from Devil Rays to plain old Rays for the 2008 season, the first after Stuart Sternberg bought control from founding owner Vince Naimoli. —

Ronald Blum, orlandosentinel.com, 19 Oct. 2020 Otherwise, stick to plain old H2O. Keeping your alcohol intake low will lessen your chances of suffering a stomach-churning hangover or a more serious consequence like an inflamed pancreas. —

Janis Graham, Redbook, 28 Nov. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'plain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin planum, from neuter of planus flat, plain — more at floor

Adverb (2)

partly from Middle English plein entire, complete, from Anglo-French, full, from Latin plenus; partly from plain entry 3 — more at full

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French pleindre, plaindre, from Latin plangere to lament — more at plaint

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 8

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of plain was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Plain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plain. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

plain

1 of 4 noun

ˈplān

: a broad area of level or rolling treeless country

plain

2 of 4 adjective

: having no pattern or decoration

her dress was plain

: free of added or extra matter : pure

a glass of plain water

: open and clear to the sight

in plain view

: clear to the mind

your meaning was plain

: frank, blunt

plain speaking

: of common or average accomplishments or position : ordinary

plain people

: not complicated or hard to do

plain sewing

: neither ugly nor beautiful

plainly adverb

plainness

ˈplān-nəs

noun

plain

3 of 4 adverb

: in a plain or simple manner

plain

4 of 4 adverb

: to a complete degree : totally

were plain overcome by all the problems

Etymology

Noun

Middle English plain "a stretch of nearly level treeless country," from early French plain (same meaning), derived from Latin planus "flat" — related to plane entry 1

Adverb

partly from Middle English plein (adjective) "entire, complete" (derived from Latin plenus "full") and partly from plain (adverb) "in a plain manner" (derived from Latin planus "flat, level")